


Lila Ruins Everything Good

by ChaoticNeutral



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Akumatized Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Chameleon Salt, Gen, Spitefic, bad things happen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-13
Updated: 2019-02-13
Packaged: 2019-10-26 22:25:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17754623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaoticNeutral/pseuds/ChaoticNeutral
Summary: Something to consider is that Lila’s machinations were twofold.She didn't just damage Marinette's relationship with her classmates. She also damaged their relationship with Marinette. After all, what does it say when people will willingly choose to believe a liar over a girl who regularly goes well out of her way for them?It's something the class didn't realize until it was already too late.





	Lila Ruins Everything Good

**Author's Note:**

> In which the class finally catches on to Lila's lies.
> 
> It doesn't help them.

* * *

 

Life was like a theater. That was something Lila had learned early on. Everyone had a part. Everyone had a “role” to fill. And if you knew what you were doing, you could take center stage and be the one to direct the play.

 

Lila was quite good at maneuvering herself to the spotlight. She’d had years of practice to become a master of the art. Quickly analyzing people. Determine their interests. Say the right words to get their attention. Dance around them. Keep their attention on her and where she wanted it. And swiftly and gracefully tug everyone into new positions until she took the part and the place she desired.

 

Oh sure, there were those few who caught on early enough to what she was doing and refused to be moved. But if she couldn’t move them, she found she could easily move everyone else—even the stage around them until they realized they were now in the wings and out of sight.

 

It was always amusing to watch their befuddlement.

 

The stage was always changing, after all. And she had to move with it to remain where she wanted to be. At the center of the stage, surrounded by puppets who flocked to her and only served to enhance her own performance. Sadly, it didn’t always last.

 

Eventually, there were these moments when the puppets would realize the strings holding them and attempt to struggle. This current incident was merely the latest in a long line of them.

 

“All this time? Was any of it real? Was there ever a single thing you said that wasn’t a lie?”

 

And just like every other time before, Lila found herself…unimpressed.

 

“Aren’t you supposed to be the journalist, Alya?”

 

The other girl bristled. Lila only felt a small satisfaction.

 

“Don’t try to spin your way out of this.” Nino said—of course jumping to his girlfriend’s defense.

 

“Are you really going to go against me?” Lila asked, incredulously. “Do you really think you’d fare any better than Marinette did?”

 

“You may want to rethink that.”

 

“Forget it.” Nino insisted. “You can’t hurt us anymore than you already have.”

 

Oh, how cute. How utterly naive.

 

“Are you sure about that?” She asked, smarmy. “After all, there are only a few threads left tying her to any of you at this point.”

 

Seeing their dumbfounded looks only left her with more annoyance than anything.

 

“What are you—”

 

“I’m saying that if you cross me, I can ruin your friendship with her. Permanently.”

 

“No way!” Alya shouted. “That won’t happen!”

 

“Oh? Do you really think your relationship can withstand another blow?” She smirked. “I mean, you pretty much already abandoned her.”

 

There was a tension that had settled in the room between Marinette and her classmates for a while now. It was something Lila had encouraged. Something Marinette had desperately tried to relieve with only some success. And sure, her “friends” knew the truth now, but that didn’t undo any of it. It didn’t magically remove the damage caused. Even if they wanted to reconcile, the strain remained—particularly on Marinette, who had been through the most and was not yet aware of her classmates finally getting a clue.

 

Well, half of one at any rate, given how oblivious they were.

 

“Marinette’s better than that! She knows you’re a liar.” Alya exclaimed.

 

“And she knows you aren’t true friends.” She shook her head, pityingly. “If nothing else, I did her a favor by showing her your true colors.“

 

That only helped to make the journalist more angry. ”Don’t act like you were doing anything for her sake! You lied about her! You lied about everything!”

 

“And who believed those lies? Honestly, it wasn’t even like I was really trying that hard. You could have disproven any of them at any time with a quick Google search, and you didn’t even try to.”

 

“I didn’t know—”

 

“You didn’t _try_. What was it you told Marinette before? A good journalist always verifies her sources? Where were you on that one, Alya?”

 

“This isn’t on Alya.” Adrien insisted, finally stepping into the conversation. “This is on you, Lila. I warned you before that your lies will only turn everyone against you.”

 

“Don’t try to talk like you’re supposed to be the noble one, Adrien. You knew all along was was happening and never once said a thing.”

 

“Wait.” Nino interrupted, turning to his friend. “Adrien, you knew?”

 

Adrien couldn’t stop the flinch at that.

 

“I didn’t want to cause trouble.” He admitted.

 

She knew that all too well. Even when he knew the truth, he still played along beautifully.

 

“Of course you didn’t. Because you weren’t the one being affected, so what did it matter to you?”

 

For once, Adrien wasn’t having any of it. “Don’t even try to twist your way out of this, Lila. I know I messed up. I should have said something sooner, I admit that. But you’re still the one who lied.”

 

“And you’re still the ones who let me.” Lila countered. “Either by believing me or believing IN me, none of you stepped up before. None of you tried to help. And none of you did anything to protect your own friendships. If they really mattered that much—if SHE really mattered that much to you, then shouldn’t you have taken better care of what you had with her?”

 

The three simply glared at her, forming a united front.

 

“Enough, Lila. We know better now. And we’re not letting you mess with us again.”

 

“And now what? Do you believe you can just go back and fix things? That Marinette can just act like none of it happened? Let’s not forget, I already destroyed her friendship with you, or have you forgotten how easily you turned on her with just a couple of whispers?”

 

Oh god, if Alya ever wanted to slap someone. Even Chloe had nothing on this.

 

Lila only laughed.

 

“Do you really think she’d forgive you? You already dismissed her so easily before.”

 

“I’ll make it up to her.” Alya promised. Determination laced her words. Lila had little doubt she would make every attempt to follow through.

 

“We all will.” Nino agreed.

 

It seems this stage has run its course. They often do eventually, though this one had gone on longer than any of the others. She wondered at times if the regular akuma attacks did something to their brains, but really didn't care to question it. Regardless, it was fun while it lasted, but she knew that she couldn’t get them back under her direction at this point.

 

But she could still make sure she left them with a show to remember. After all, part of owning the stage meant she knew where all the props were.

 

And she knew full well where Marinette kept a certain treasure of hers...

 

* * *

 

Taking lunch by herself at home was becoming common lately. It offered her some peace and solace from the growing tension she felt among her classmates. She just wished she had her sketchbook with her, though she had been sure she had kept it in her bag she brought home with her. Sure, she knew staying away wasn’t helping, but with everyone so insistent on believing and catering to Lila, Marinette found herself feeling too ill at ease to be able to eat or relax with her friends.

 

She wasn’t giving up, though! She just needed a break during the day to destress before throwing herself back into the whirlwind of drama that Lila would instigate.

 

Sometimes it was all she could do to not shake her friends and scream at them. Which was the last thing she wanted to do and would certainly in no way help her case.

 

She just had to keep trying. Because they were worth protecting. Because they were worth trying for. Because that’s just what friends did. She couldn’t just give up on them, even if they were so intent on believing obvious lies.

 

Marinette couldn’t blame them. The false promises were too good to be true, but didn’t that just make them all the more desirable? She may have known better, but she first learned about Lila through her lie about Ladybug. The only way she knew it was false was because Lila had unknowingly chosen to lie about herself.

 

If she hadn’t of been the center of Lila’s falsehood, would she really have been able to know better?

 

She couldn’t assume. She had been lucky. Even Adrien had been fooled by Lila at first. Even Chat had believed her as Volpina. And even though she had known better, she still let herself fall for her traps as well. As such, she had to hold out for her friends and give them the benefit of the doubt.

 

Just because they wanted to believe a liar over her didn’t mean they weren’t friends. It didn’t mean they would completely turn away from her. Because despite all of Lila’s attempts, they were still on at least somewhat good terms. That said something, even if it was taking all of Marinette’s efforts to keep things this way.

 

She had hoped someone would figure things out by now. Alya with her journalism. Nino with his pragmatism. And Adrien of all people, who knew the truth and supported her, even if it was silently.

 

Marinette just had to believe in them.

 

She DID believe in them.

 

And nothing could damage her belief in them.

 

Not until she entered the classroom and found all three of her supposed friends surrounding the destroyed remains of her sketchbook.

 

It had been special. Her designs she had been creating for an upcoming contest, as well as her growing portfolio. Everything she had been working on for some time now, all collected together as part of her project. Her best works. Her greatest creations. She had needed it for several upcoming contests and to apply for design schools.

 

It was her life’s goal. All of her work. Everything she had, she had put into it.

 

They…they knew that.

 

And yet—

 

Torn papers littered the floor.

 

A broken binder torn and frayed.

 

And the evidence rested in their guilty, guilty hands.

 

Her world stopped.

 

She realized that everything was silent.

 

They realized she was there.

 

Alya had dropped the notebook in shock.

 

There was a moment that they all simply stared. The three of them staring at her like she might attack them.

 

She stared back, wondering when her world was so completely destroyed. Wondering when things had gone so horribly wrong that the people she thought at least somewhat cared about her would resort to something so cruel.

 

She opened her mouth but couldn’t speak. There were no words.

 

So they seemed to see fit to speak for her.

 

In an instant, there was a cacophony of noise as the three began shouting at once, their words jumbling and merging as they reached her, barely coherent in the face of the overwhelming desolation of her heart. 

 

“It wasn’t us!”

 

But it was. Even if indirectly. Even if they were tools.

 

“We didn’t—!”

 

But the proof was in their hands.

 

“Marinette, you have to listen—!”

 

Did she? Hadn’t she listened to them enough? Why was she the one who always had to listen when none of them listened to her? Now look. She listened and tried and this was the result?

 

“ _Why?_ ” She whispered, heartbroken.

 

The group flinched.

 

No one had an answer.

 

No one could answer.

 

Slowly. Weakly. She didn’t walk so much as stumble forward to gather the torn papers—ripped apart enough that she could barely even make out the original contents.

 

“Marinette…” Adrien murmured, horrified.

 

“I-I can explain!” Alya insisted, hands shaking.

 

But Marinette couldn’t hear them. Her eyes solely centered on the shredded remains of her sketchbook and every creation she had lifted from her imagination to immortalize on paper.

 

Gone.

 

All of it gone.

 

Just like her friends.

 

Just like her dream.

 

Just like everything.

 

_**Gone.** _

 

And she just had nothing left.

 

She forced herself to hold back the sobs, instead clutching what remained of her notebook to her chest tightly enough to permanently crease the contents if they weren’t already destroyed beyond any hopes to fix. It was a hollow comfort. But it was all she had to hold onto as she staggered out of the room.

 

“Wait, Marinette! It’s not what you think!”

 

But it was.

 

It really was.

 

* * *

 

_“Ah, a fallen creator. Betrayed and torn apart by the people who tore her dreams.”_

 

_A laugh._

 

_“Go forth my little akuma. And give solace to her shattered heart!”_

 

**Author's Note:**

> Because while the class may have been the ones manipulated, Marinette is still affected by their actions just as much as Lila's. So caught up in themselves, the class failed to realize that.
> 
> Unfortunately for everyone, Hawk Moth didn't.


End file.
